Prix Cleopatre Preview: Baltic Baroness to prevail at Saint-Cloud

Andre Fabre's Baltic Baroness can win the Prix Cleopatre

Timeform's John Ingles tipped Style Vendome, the winner of the French 2000 Guineas, as well as the second-placed horse in the French 1000 Guineas, Esoterique. He provides you with his thoughts on the Prix Cleopatre...

After the French Guineas last weekend, attention now switches to the French Oaks, with Wednesday's Prix Cleopatre at Saint-Cloud serving as a trial for next month's Prix de Diane at Chantilly. No filly has won the two races since Pawneese in 1976, but Galikova went on to finish runner-up in the Prix de Diane two years ago, while 2009 winner Flying Cloud won the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot next time out.

The key piece of form to this year's renewal is the Prix Penelope, another Group 3 contest run over the same course and distance a month ago. On that occasion Baltic Baroness looked like making all only to be overhauled late on, but in finishing second she had both Eleuthera (promoted to fourth) and Childa (sixth) behind her and both re-oppose here.

Baltic Baroness, who won a newcomers race on the polytrack at Chantilly late last year, represents Andre Fabre who has a formidable recent record in the Cleopatre (four wins in the last eight runnings) and clearly has his string in top form, with three winners on Sunday's Longchamp card as well as near-misses in both Guineas. Eleuthera has come a long way since starting out in claimers but looks fully exposed, while Childa, a listed winner at Saint-Cloud earlier in the year, also faces a tough task turning the tables on Baltic Baroness.

Of the remainder who all face a step up in class, Piana and Santa Ponsa have the most progressive profiles. Piana has won both her starts and will have the assistance of Christophe Soumillon, though the form of her win in a minor event at Saint-Cloud last month looks nothing out of the ordinary.

Supplementary entry Santa Ponsa has done all her racing in the Provinces, winning her last three starts, including a listed race at Toulouse last time. Santa Ponsa had another of Wednesday's runners, Melodique, back in seventh at Toulouse, and while Melodique needs to step up on that reappearance run - and prove that she stays beyond a mile - she was herself a listed winner at Lyon Parilly in the autumn in good style.

Galikova's trainer Freddie Head is represented by the blinkered Shahad, she too a daughter of Galileo, who is bred to be better than she's shown so far. She finished behind Eleuthera on her reappearance, but ran her best race when narrowly winning a minor event at Compiegne last time.

The field is completed by Siljan's Saga, a stable-companion of last year's Prix du Jockey Club winner Saonois. She too is yet to race outside the Provinces and faces a jump in class after winning a maiden at Lyon Parilly last time.

Recommendation:
Back Baltic Baroness in the Prix Cleopatre

Timeform weight-adjusted ratings:

Baltic Baroness 122
Eleuthera 121
Childa 120
Santa Ponsa 119p
Melodique 117

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